Ian Duke Brings Union Burger Bar to Rosé Soirée 2023

Since opening in Southampton in 2019, Union Burger Bar has become one of the hottest spots in the Hamptons for epic creative burgers and milkshakes.

This gastronomic brainchild of owner Ian Duke and chef Scott Kampf, Union Burger Bar is joining the many other fantastic East End food and wine purveyors at this year’s Dan’s Rosé Soirée.

Dan’s Papers Rosé Soirée, a celebration of rosé — the East End’s unofficial summer drink — is kicking off the Twin Forks’ unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend, Sunday, May 28 at the Southampton Arts Center.

We spoke to Ian Duke about his career path, new food trends, his favorite dish (no surprise, it’s a burger!) and more in the lead up to this year’s Rosé Soirée.

Ian Duke of Union Burger Bar Talks Rosé Soirée

How did you get into this line of work?

I started as a dishwasher 39 years ago when I was 13 years, and I have worked every job imaginable in the restaurant industry ever since.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

So much of what we do is just constantly trying to meet the increasing demands of our customers. Our guests are very savvy, and with social media constantly relaying the latest trends, we do what we can to keep up. That can change in a heartbeat, so we do what we can to keep pace with the trends.

What new food trends are you seeing?

People are eating healthier, so we have incorporated sushi into our Burger Bar menu. A family or group with different interests can come now and find something for everyone on our menu, from our traditional favorites to many of our newer options.

What is your comfort food and why?

Our menu is filled with everyone’s favorite comfort foods, with the burgers being at the top of that list. It is my comfort food as well.

What is your favorite dish?

My favorite dish is the CBD. Although these days that name has another connotation, this dish hails back to my college days at NYU when our local burger bar served this up. It is a Cheese Burger Deluxe, which continues to bring back fond memories of those days.

Visit DansTaste.com for more information and tickets.

Visit Union Burger Bar at unionburgerbar.com.